For Slaven Bilic, the closest thing to a positive came before a ball had been kicked when West Ham’s co-chairman David Sullivan settled down for an interview with Gary Neville.
‘The manager has a three-year contract and is entitled to these three years,’ Sullivan told Sky Sports as the crystals on his tie twinkled in the floodlights.
‘He didn’t sign a two-year contract or a one-year contract. He is entitled to three years. If you change a manager it can give you two or three more points over a season statistically.
Glenn Murray is embraced by his team-mates after scoring Brighton’s opening goal against West Ham at the London Stadium
Jose Izquierdo unleashes a powerful curling effort from outside the area to score his first ever Premier League goal
Slaven Bilic feels the pressure as his West Ham side slumped to another disappointing defeat in the Premier League
‘I believe in morality and what’s right. After the season we will sit down and see if he wants to stay on and if we want him to stay on. That’s a long way off.
‘I think the manager has a three-year contract and is entitled to these three years.
‘If you sign a contract you desperately want to honour that contract unless things are desperate.’
By the time the night was out, things did seem little more desperate.
Victory against Brighton would have ensured West Ham started the weekend in the top half of the Premier League.
Defeat means they could be in the relegation zone by Monday if other results go against them.
Cheikou Kouyate is crowded out in midfield by Brighton midfielder Davy Propper as the newly-promoted side started strong
Joe Hart scrambles across his goal in vain as Murray’s header flies in to give Brighton an early lead at the London Stadium
Murray wheels away in celebration after heading Brighton into a tenth-minute lead against West Ham on Friday night football
‘Going down with the Palace,’ crowed the Brighton fans as they rejoiced.
Glenn Murray headed them into an early lead and they preyed on the nerves of the home team and defended bravely before Jose Izquierdo scored the second, seconds before half-time.
Murray made it three from the spot having won the penalty by drawing a tired foul from Pablo Zabaleta who looks with each passing game like a man who should have opted for a season ticket at Manchester City rather than a new challenge in London.
It is they who move up to 10th having secured a first away win in the top flight since March 1983, when they won at Swansea.
So long ago, in fact, that both Brighton and Swansea have flirted with extinction at the bottom of the Football League before climbing back to the top.
Gaetan Bong struggles to keep track of Michail Antonio as the West Ham winger surges forward in possession
Brighton’s Matthew Ryan makes a diving stop to smother Javier Hernandez as West Ham struggled to break through
Izquierdo slides on his knees in celebration after his goal in first-half injury time doubled Brighton’s lead against West Ham
How they enjoyed this night and further evidence that they may have the necessary blend of quality and guts to survive at this level.
Murray’s first goal of the season made the home crowd anxious.
It was the simplest of goals and a dreadful one to concede for West Ham when at home and braced for what everyone at the club seemed to accept would be a big week.
Pascal Gross clipped a free-kick into the penalty area. The delivery was decent as ever from Gross, but it was not from a threatening area of pitch.
It was not lashed in at pace, forcing defenders to panic.
It was curled onto the penalty spot, where Murray escaped Pedro Obiang with ease, drifted behind Michail Antonio and applied a firm header to leave Joe Hart with no chance.
West Ham’s Andre Ayew (centre) competes for an aerial ball with Shane Duffy (left) and Bruno (right) during the second half
Hernandez shows his dejection as he endured a frustrating night deputising for the suspended Andy Carroll up front
Pablo Zabaleta brings down Murray in the West Ham box causing referee Martin Atkinson to award Brighton a penalty
Chris Hughton clenched his fist. Goals have proved scarce since promotion in May and this one would turn the pressure on Slaven Bilic and his team.
West Ham tried to generate more urgency as Brighton sank deeper and centre-halves Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy dug in to defend the edge of their penalty area.
Dunk blocked from Winston Reid, an effort by Manuel Lanzini was deflected over and Duffy threw his body on the line to deny Javier Hernandez.
Frustration levels crept up and Obiang tried his luck from 30 yards. His low drive was deflected but barely troubled goalkeeper Mat Ryan.
Hernandez led the forward line in the absence of Andy Carroll, serving the first game of a ban for a red card at Burnley last week.
Murray rolls home the spot-kick past Hart to seal Brighton’s third Premier League win of the season at the London Stadium
Hart looks dejected after failing to keep out Murray’s penalty during a chastening night for the England No 1 goalkeeper
Anthony Knockaert embraces Murray as Brighton celebrate in front of their travelling supporters on Friday night
West Ham over-committed in search of an equaliser and were stung by Brighton’s second in stoppage-time in the first-half.
Joe Hart saved from Murray when the striker probably ought to have found a more clinical finish for a slick counter-attack.
The visitors kept the attack alive, working the ball left to Jose Izquierdo was in acres of space who jinked inside, past a feeble challenge from Obiang and let fly with his right foot.
Hart took off to his left but was unable to claw the ball away and the goalkeeper will be disappointed.
Neither did he move his feet quickly across the line or recover with a dive to reach a shot which did not find the corner of the net.
West Ham supporters argue in the stands as they watched their side slump to their fifth defeat of the league season
Manuel Lanzini (left) and Winston Reid (right) trudge off the pitch at the final whistle as boos rung out round the stadium
Bilic’s side delivered a disappointing performance as they were taken apart by Chris Hughton’s Brighton side on Friday
Colombian winger Izquierdo celebrated his first since a £13.5million club-record transfer from Club Brugge.
West Ham fans booed their team into the tunnel at half-time.
Bilic replaced midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate with striker Andre Ayew and reverted to a 4-4-2 shape for the second-half but the damage was done.
Brighton were solid at the back and dangerous on the break and Murray’s penalty to make it 3-0, 15 minutes from time, was the signal for a mass exodus.
Those who stayed until the end booed again and all Bilic has for consolation this weekend is a rather hollow vote of confidence from his board.